𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌾𐌰

Forms

𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌾𐌰 (wardja), a masculine n-stem noun.^[1][2][3] The only recorded form is the accusative plural 𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽𐍃 (wardjans).^[2][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *wardijô.^[5] Feist and Lehmann explain it as a derivative with the suffix -𐌾𐌰 (-ja) of the Germanic noun *warda- (“guard”), seen in Old English weard, Old Saxon ward and Old High German wart, beside a u-stem in Old Norse vǫrðr (“guard, watch”).^[4][6] Casaretto instead makes it a denominal formation *𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌰 (*warda, “watch”), a feminine like warda and wart(a); because a masculine base meaning "guard" would not differ in meaning from the derivative, she rejects it.^[7][7] The root is usually taken to be Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to watch, give heed”).^[4][2][6] Wiktionary compares Proto-Finnic *vartija.^[5]

Attestation

The word occurs once, at Matthew 27:65 in manuscript CA.^[8][2] The plural renders Ancient Greek κουστωδία (koustōdía, “a guard of soldiers”).^[9][2] The verse reads 𐌵𐌰𐌸 𐌹𐌼 𐍀𐌴𐌹𐌻𐌰𐍄𐌿𐍃 𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌹𐌸 𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽𐍃 (qaþ im Peilatus: habaiþ wardjans), "Pilate said to them: you have guards".^[10]

Meanings

1. a guard, watchman; in the plural, a watch (for κουστωδία)^{[1][2][11][5]}

Borrowings into other languages

• Vulgar Latin: *wardia, continued in Spanish guardia and Catalan guàrdia^[5]
• Italian: guardia, which Wiktionary connects with either Frankish *warda or the Gothic word^[12]

Related words

• 𐌳𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐍃 (daurawards, “doorkeeper”)
• 𐌳𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐍉 (daurawardō, “female doorkeeper”)

References

1. ^ a b Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910), Die gotische Bibel, II: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. wardja
2. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Gotisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. wardja*
3. ^ Regan, Brian T. (1974), Dictionary of the Biblical Gothic Language, Phoenix: Wulfila House, p. 177
4. ^ a b c Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. wardja
5. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. 𐍅𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌾𐌰
6. ^ a b Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986), A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the third edition of Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache by Sigmund Feist, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. *wardja
7. ^ a b Casaretto, Antje (2004), Nominale Wortbildung der gotischen Sprache: Die Derivation der Substantive, Heidelberg: Winter
8. ^ De Herdt, Tom (2004–2026), Project Wulfila: digital edition of the Gothic Bible with lemma and morphological annotation, data release 2026-09-03, wulfila.be
9. ^ Haug, Dag T. T. et al., PROIEL Treebank: The Gothic Bible (gothic-nt), 2023 release, Pragmatic Resources in Old Indo-European Languages, University of Oslo
10. ^ De Herdt, Tom (2004–2026), Project Wulfila: digital edition of the Gothic Bible with lemma and morphological annotation, data release 2026-09-03, wulfila.be, p. Mt 27:65
11. ^ Balg, G. H. (1887–1889), A Comparative Glossary of the Gothic Language, with Especial Reference to English and German, Mayville, Wis.: the author, p. 532
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. guardia